captioned by closed captioning services, inc. good morning thanks for joining us. i'm eric thomas. cheryl jennings will be here tonight for our election coverage. and i'm kristen sze. americans are going to the polls now. you see long lines this morning in columbus, ohio perhaps the key swing state. mitt romney and paul ryan are campaigning to the right now. they landed shortly after vice president biden, that's air force two making an unannounced stop this cleveland before going to

chicago to join president obama tahman bradley joins us live. >> reporter: good afternoon from boston the most expensive election in history is in the hands of voters. mitt romney on the ground in ohio, hunting for last minute votes. they cast their ballots this morning hoping republicans in key swing states do the same, heading out for a final push in pennsylvania and ohio romney was brimming with confidence about his chances in the buckeye state. >> feel great about ohio. >> reporter: the romney campaign needs to overcome president obama's advantage. poll shows mr. obama a three point edge many romney tracked a large -- large crowd last night. >> your votes and your work in new hampshire will help me become the next president of the united states. >> reporter: president obama and the first lady are home in chicago. the president stopped by a

local campaign office. >> you have to tell the team that i appreciate them. >> reporter: the president ended his reelection bid an emotional rally last night in iowa. >> the president: to all of you who lived and breathed the hard work of change i want to thank you. >> reporter: both sides expect the election will be tight. the romney campaign thinks strong support among in voters will make this a victory party. tahman bradley, abc news. the road to the white house runs through several battleground states. the way those states line-up will determine who wins the electoral college and the white house. katie marzullo is here to explain. >> reporter: this is how the electoral votes stack up now according to abc news with eight battleground states still undecided, those states appear in yellow. the fastest way for president obama to get back into the white house would be for him to win ohio, wisconsin and iowa. for mitt romney the path is

longer. he would need to win florida, virginia also ohio and iowa. as you heard tahman bradley report, mitt romney keeping his campaign alive today, making stops in ohio and pennsylvania. romney says feels good about ohio, campaign watchers say that might show he knows that's a long shot. another state worth keeping an eye on is virginia. virginia is going to have some of the earliest returns. if president obama wins it, mitt romney has to win ohio or the race is over. the magic number 270 electoral votes. >> in san jose elections officials say so far things are going smoothly. hundreds of voters have been stopping by to cast their ballots all morning. you can stop by any time today until 8:00 tonight when polls in california close. elections official there is

have set up a drive-thru drop-off for absentee ballots. one of the biggest battles in california is the governor's tax on education funding. >> reporter: he didn't just vote here he held one last pep rally for prop 30. which some are calling the most important decision on today's state ballot. prop 30 supporters greeted governor brown as he walked to vote this morning many support has declineed recently. the governor says he's feeling optimistic. >> wouldn't be surprised if the outcome is even who are positive than most of you are expecting. or row opponents are feeling positive -- >> reporter: opponents are feeling positive. >> i think voters are seeing through the rhetoric around prop 30 and seeing it for what it is, which is a massive tax

increase. >> reporter: it would increase taxes for those who make at least $250,000 a year and add a quarter cent to the state's sales tax. without it schools will lose money. >> no on prop 30 means billions out of schools and the universities. a yes vote means billions of dollars into the schools. >> reporter: opponents of prop 30 say they aren't anti-education, they just don't like how this has been handled and think these taxes will drive businesses out of california. >> california is lagging when it comes to per pupil funding. right now the last thing the state needs a 50 billion dollar tax increase. we see jobs leaving our state in droves. >> reporter: both side agree, it is going to be close. one described it as a squeaker. we might not know results before we go to bed tonight. the governor has campaigned hard for this. but he's done, he says this

afternoon he's going on a hike. amy hollyfield, abc7 news. here's a look at other key propositions you are voting on today: prop 32 would stop unions from using money deducted from paychecks on political campaigns. 34 repeal the death penalty, 36 revise three strikes law. 37 would implement new food labeling requirements. 38 competing tax measure against prop 30. in san francisco confusion at a polling place where voters have been casting ballots for years at 18th and church street has been divided into two locations. some registered voters have to walk to a different polling place. election officials say that new location is not too far away. >> this is the 2010 census the lines for the precinct has been redrawn. they are be redeck the which is half a block down to the -- redirected, which is half a

block down. >> some say they are not happy because they didn't know about the new location until they showed up. >> voters in fremont revered to paper and pencil to cast their ballots the power went out at the crossroads church on fremont boulevard and 7 a.m.. voters were not turned away provisional ballots were brought in. power was restored. >> if you have trouble voting you can report to the number on your screen: that number is also posted on abc7news.com. the moment polls close in california the abc7 news team will be on the air with up to the second returns. we'll stay on the air all night with the latest information. you can get real-time results through abc7news.com. we'll have live updates all night long at facebook.com/abc7news and through twitter@abc7 news bay

area. many races are still up in the air one thing is certain the weather won't interfere with you voting. record temperatures possibly. meteorologist mike nicco has your election day forecast. good morning. live doppler, looping over the last three hours, nothing over top of us, not even clouds. those are here, marching our way that's tomorrow. let's focus on now. lie and variable winds under high pressure, haze, not a spare the air day by any stretch of the imagination. it is a warmer than average one temperatures at average highs already, most of us in the mid 60s to low 70's, 71 los gatos, 61 san rafael. this afternoon almost the same as yesterday, 11 to 13° above average, couple record high temperatures like that 81 san jose, everything changing tomorrow, 20 to 30° cooler,

thunderstorms in the forecast. there's much more still ahead. breaking news out of fresno police on the scene of a deadly workplace shooting. later we introduce you to the state's longest serving poll worker here in the bay area. the award

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out of the central valley. police in fresno on the scene of a shooting at apple valleyhé farms. one person has been killed, four injured, including the gunman. fresno police say 42-year-old lawrence jones showed up for work this morning and began shooting killing within co-worker and wounding three before turning the again on himself. the shooter is in critical condition with two victims. the other victim in serious condition. so far police have not disclosed a motive. huge honor going out for one experienced poll worker in san francisco. terry mcsweeney has the story. >> reporter: california secretary of state bowen coming out to this polling place, not to vote but present an award to the longest serving san francisco poll worker that would be 90 6-year-old alicia kennedy in

-- 96-year-old alicia kennedy. she has been doing this since 1949, truman was president, gas was a quarter a gallon. how many times alicia kennedy has asked for a voter's signature at a polling place? no one knows. she did it for 30 years in the mission district and another 30 years near irving. today she is seeing a huge turnout. >> really busy. busiest i've ever seen. >> reporter: since you started doing this? >> yes. >> reporter: voters may not know they are in the presence of the city's most seasoned poll worker. >> it came down to 30 vs. 38 which is a big thing. >> 30 because i'm a college student. preventing more tuition hikes. >> reporter: others see vote for president to be the most critical. >> i don't want to see obama out. i think the options are

dismal. >> reporter: alicia has been recognized by the state for her dedication to election day she proudly displays name tags, starting in 1949. >> it was a job at that time. i started as and spector, i started with did the 13 a day. >> reporter: until today the most excited was 1960 when kennedy energized voters. >> for a new face, i guess. new face. and the appeal that they had for the name of kennedy. [ laughing ] >> reporter: i mentioned she was the longest serving in is f also in the state, she will be honor -- honored today. i asked if she will continue she said she would like to but that's up to the good lord. who is in charge of the weather? meteorologist mike nicco, it is a nice one.

i'm vetting for it to stay warm that is not -- i'm voting for it to stay warm, but that is not going to happy. no matter how you vote mother nature is bringing thunderstorms 20 to 30° cooler, highs may not make it out of the 50s by the time we get to friday. police, determined voters. victims of superstorm sandy go to the polls with some

three marin county daycare workers are facing involuntary manslaughter charges for the death of a baby in their care. we went to the magic place children's center in san rafael this morning where four-month-old baby died of suffocation two weeks ago. the center was closed. investigators believe the child's airway was cut off by bedding. the center's owner and two others were taken into custody. south bay man under arrest accused of setting a house fire. a family living in the home was evacuated this morning after calling 911 to report

someone tried to set the house on fire. police and firefighters got to the scene shortly before 3 a.m.. investigators quickly determined that a man living in the home caused the fire itch police say mental illness may have -- played a role in the incident. election day turnout is heavy in several storm ravaged areas of new york age new jersey. many voters say they are relieved to be able to vote at all given the devastation of sandy. on staten island they are using tents as makeshift polling places. in new jersey governor chris christie cast his ballot he says 70% of residents where he voted are still without power. new york state allowing people to go to other polling places. >> that nor'easter still on its way? >> still on is way. thankfully everybody can get out and vote today, when it is still calm.

nothing to stop us, sunshine, maybe take sun glasses, dress for summer type warmth if you are going to be standing in line. you can see how still the trees are on the embarcadero, also the flags on the pier and also look at the haze hanging around, you can tell high pressure in control now. let's take a different perspective, we'll look from 23,000 miles out, you can see with this visible satellite clouds are closer to the coast moving east that is the change in the forecast, that will develop late this afternoon and spread throughout our neighborhoods overnight, bringing the cooler weather on the way this is it as far as above average temperatures still in the 60s san rafael, redwood city and antioch mid to upper 60s there everybody else low to mid 70s, 79 in los gatos. our last day of record warmth

is today. cooler tomorrow, especially thursday and friday when chilly showers come in they will be so cool we could have thunder and even small hail thursday and friday. today about 11 to 13° above average. you can enjoy this warmth through the sun setting at 5:05. after that we start the cooling trend. 80 within san jose record high possible second day in a row mountain view 80, 77 millbrae, mid to upper 70s along the coast into downtown south san francisco, sausalito, mid 70s most of the north bay beaches, upper 70s to low 80s for your valleys. pretty much low 80s in the east bay valleys. 76 monterey, 84 watsonville. 87 hollister record high temperatures. late this afternoon into the

early evening clouds get close as sea breeze develops along the shore cooling will get there before the clouds, clouds and marine layer develop overnight is going to bring cooler conditions tomorrow, cloudy for the bay, north bay and to the coast where we may have drizzle. temperatures mainly in the 50s tomorrow morning. this big dome of cold air counterclockwise low around that low means grabbing the air from the arctic, yanking it down pushing it over the ocean shoving it our way, when it does it is going to bring thunderstorms for us thursday, friday if you are driving thursday into friday especially thursday afternoon friday morning 5 to 10 inches of snow down to 7,000 feet and three to five inches of snow below that it will difficulty a little winds 45 miles per hour gusts. tomorrow 10 to 15° cooler than today, under a partly cloudy sky clouds and rain start to come in lucky we'll make it

into the 50s and 60s thursday probably won't make it out of the 50s in most areas friday this is going to be windy, blustery thursday and friday. saturday through monday below average. saturday night into sunday first frost of the season watch out sunday morning you want to cover those plants bring the cats in my case cats, dogs in during the overnight hours. >> kids too. abc viewers opened their hearts and wallets to the victims of superstorm sandy. >> wait until you hear how much they gave during abc's day of giving.

katie will be on 2:00 today with kelly ripa and michael strahan. >> abc7 news will work around the clock to bring you up to the minute coverage. join us at 3:00 for a special edition of abc news with the latest on the vote. 3:30 world news. followed by live election coverage from abc news at 4 p.m.. >> at 8:00 first bay area results from abc7 news. then abc news returns with primetime coverage at 8:30.

wrap up on abc news at heaven. big thank you to all of you. -- 16.8 million dollars raised for the red cross relief effort so far. >> huge thank you to everyone in the bayyñ yesterday if you can't yet you can still give text abc to 90999 to give $10. you can also call 1-800-help >> thanks in advance. this is the place for election coverage all day long. thanks for joining us, who wants to be a millionaire is next.